Pastors lose marriage licences

FOURTEEN pastors from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia (ELCRN) have been stripped of their marriage officer status after the church requested the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration to cancel their licences.

The Namibian has learnt that the church made the request in October last year and the licences were revoked in November.

ELCRN acting general secretary Wilfred Nico Diergaardt informed all the parishioners and congregational councils of the church’s decision in a letter dated 1 January 2014.

Diergaardt listed Paul Goagoseb, Gotthard Gurirab, Collin and Cereline Cloete, Andreas Vilander, Willem Pieters, Mark Beukes, Salomon April, Johannes Boois, Eliakem Boois, Nokokure Gaomas, Gustav Rooi, Jafet Gaomab and Albertus Dietrich Nouseb as the pastors whose marriage licences had been revoked.

Of these pastors, the Cloetes, Rooi and Gaomab allegedly did not have licences.

Diergaardt confirmed the cancellation yesterday, saying this should have been done a long time ago although some of the affected pastors claim the move is a witch-hunt to smoke out those who were anti-retired Bishop Zephania Kameeta during his tenure as head of the church.

“This has nothing to do with witch hunting. Most of these pastors either have permanent jobs elsewhere or they have been released of their duties due to allegations of irregularities brought against them.

“Some of these pastors are no longer active in the church. How can one work on permanent basis at another place and claim rights at another place? It cannot be done,” said Diergaardt.

According to Diergaardt, Gurirab is employed by the University of Namibian; Cereline Cloete is with the youth ministry; April works for the Heritage Council.

He also said Boois is an employee of the gender ministry and both Gaomab and Gaomas are with the education ministry.

Diergaardt further said some of the pastors lost their licences because they were conducting marriages in ways which are not stipulated in the church’s guidelines.

“You cannot just decide to conduct marriages without following rules that have been put in place,” Diergaardt argued.

Bishop Ernest //Gamxamub, who succeeded Kameeta last year declined to comment and requested that the aggrieved pastors should approach his office at the church’s headquarters.

However, April and Gurirab, in a statement dated 15 March this year, pointed out that some pastors had not been issued with marriage licenses in the first place and they do not understand why the church requested a revocation.

They further said the fact that the church had not been honest in its submission to the ministry about which pastor had a licence and which ones did not, means it broke one of the most fundamental commandment which states that one should not lie.

“What happened is that some of us cannot even officiate at any church service, funeral or weddings. We are allegedly no longer pastors,” complained April, adding that the church has not only stripped them of their non-existing licences but also of their pastoral duties.

“The church is a body that should sit together to discuss these issues. However, attempts to seek audience with the church council and Bishop Ernest //Gamxamub has been in vain,” said April.

“We had spoken to the bishop several times about this issue but it was all in vain,” said Gurirab.

Cereline Cloete said she and her husband Collin had no marriage licences and are still trying to understand why the ministry had cancelled licences they did not have in the first place.

“Me and my husband did not have a licence, but what we are really concerned about is the fact that we can’t officiate at church services anymore,” said Cloete, adding that the church should, at least, explain why it cut them off.

Gaomab, said he had no licence, however, his wife Nokokure Gaomas had one which they never used.

“What we do not understand is why they did not investigate the issue properly and have the right names instead of mentioning people who are not even in possession of these licence,” said Gaomab, adding that this might be a witch-hunt to get rid of them for opposing some churches polices.

In a related matter, a delegation of 10 people from the Okakarara parish where dismissed Paul Goagoseb was based, held a meeting with //Gamxamub on Saturday to plead for the reinstatement of the pastor.

Goagoseb was dismissed on 14 February after being found guilty of solomnising marriages in an unprocendural manner, but he said: “Even if I am guilty, you cannot fire me. For what good reasons?”

He pointed out that he did not feel marrying foreigners is wrong.

Diergaardt said the plea was a lost cause since Goagoseb had been dismissed and he can only apply for his position again after two years.

Ministry’s permanent secretary, Patrick Nandago confirmed that home affairs had terminated the licences of the pastors at the request of the church.

“These pastors were designated as marriage officers by the ministry and therefore were issued with certificates,” said Nandago, adding that the ministry had also cancelled their licenses due to the fact that some of these pastors were marrying people under dubious circumstances.